MAY 18, 2001

Pollock calls for joint Honda work

CRAIG POLLOCK, managing director of British American Racing, has said that his team and Jordan must work together to get the best from engine supplier Honda.

CRAIG POLLOCK, managing director of British American Racing, has said that his team and Jordan must work together to get the best from engine supplier Honda.

The two teams are in direct competition more than ever this year after signing deals with the Japanese manufacturer, and Pollock claimed the two have to work together to make the best improvements.

"Jordan and ourselves have contracts in place (with Honda) for next year," said Pollock, who also said he is not in further negotiations with the Japanese manufacturer.

"At the moment we have two teams with the same engine and exactly the same package.

"We must coexist and talk basically from the same hymn book, which we are doing at the moment, and we're encouraging Honda to go in a direction in which they just keep on improving.

"If Honda decide to stay with two teams, with us, we're perfectly happy. If they decide to go with one team then obviously we'd like it to be our team and in that case it's 'may the best person win'."

But BAR are still benefiting from their earlier association with Honda, having joined forces last year, and they are working much more closely than Jordan are with the Japanese manufacturer.

"We have more Honda people on our facility lets just say helping and learning about the sport and I'm sure Jordan don't have anyone from Honda with them in the UK," Pollock added.

"So that is positive in the sense that we've got a long-standing relationship and a reasonable relationship with Honda.

"It's a negative in the sense that it takes time away from our people but it's an investment that we've been willing to make."